by James Thompson

This is a follow-on to the recent MTI articles “The Military – Should I stay In?”, “Why I’m Getting Out – An Army Major”, and “My Struggles In Retirement – A Former Fire Captain.”

The decision to finally get out (separate or retire) from the military usually comes not from one single event (unless medical) but from a string of multiple stresses piling up on top of each other.

Getting to a senior level in the military takes an immense amount of sacrifices.  Just being tactically proficient is unfortunately not even close to enough.  You have to get advanced degrees (which often don’t have to have anything to do with doing your job), you have to execute remote tours where you’re away from your family, and you have to serve in staff tours where you are not flying and sit behind a desk somewhere.  And you must move.  A lot.  In the military, we moved 24 times in 30 years.  Forcing a family to suffer through all that is incredibly selfish.  It builds resilient kids, but as they start getting older, it becomes significantly more difficult to leave them for deployments and each day for long work hours.  You start missing recitals, athletic events, and other life events, and it really starts to grind on your soul.  But you persevere because that is called “serving”.

And so there I was ……

….. in the middle of Afghanistan on my eighth combat tour, and my oldest son asked “Can we stop moving?  I am tired of having to make new friends.”  That was the tipping point, and we decided enough is enough.   The next day I began the process to separate after 22 years of Active Duty and move over to the Guard.

Unfortunately, I got my first hard lesson that the grass was not greener on the other side.  My Guard tour was plagued by multiple issues…the things that start to annoy you on Active Duty are only exacerbated in the Guard.  As a few examples – I was given even less resources to make the mission happen, it took twice as long to get any people into the unit whenever we had turnover, and the politics were significantly magnified.  We were forced to perform missions in some non-logical remote geographical places “because the Senator said so.”  And in the end, I had a Guard commander that told me point blank, “your mission is to fail.  We have to fail so they give us more money.”  I was aghast…I was now supposed to try to fail?  Now obviously much of this frustration was my own reaction to the circumstances.  Many people make a great career in the Guard, but my experience was different.

After much reflection, I concluded I was not happy in that time and place.  I said to my wife “something has to change.  I just can’t do this anymore.”  So, I did what I thought I needed to and retired.  And that was supposed to fix all the problems, right?

In the first two header articles, the authors list several main considerations of why they might or might not get out of the military.  And as they both point out; it is exceedingly difficult to make that decision to pull the ejection handle and leave…there is just so much you do not know!  I will present a hindsight viewpoint on three reasons I suggest in hindsight you should not use to justify getting out of a profession.

“The Army doesn’t allow me to live long-term in a place I love.”

We thought this same thing (of the Air Force).  We had bought some acreage in Arizona and we knew we would build our “forever house” on that land once we retired.  There is an enormously powerful draw enticing you to get out of the military so you can “grow roots”.

But what is strange when you get out is suddenly you have a choice for the first time.  Many list this as a reason to get out.  But this can be scary…and can lead to some indecision because we just are not experienced in choosing where to live.  Since leaving Active Duty, we have now moved three times in four years.  The first move was our own decision once we got a better lay of the land while we built our “forever house”.  The second move was into that “forever house”, and the third move was out of that “forever house” because of COVID and due to furloughs and shutdowns.  We had to downsize to get a lower mortgage payment.

So, do not anchor all your thoughts on being able to live long-term in any location.  After talking with many of my co-workers, they have all moved several times throughout their lives due to corporate mergers, layoffs, furloughs…this is nothing new to them either.  In retrospect, I wish we had not bought the land, nor used the forever house as a draw to get out.  Moving and ripping out those dreams of the forever house has caused significant angst and emotional difficulty.  If you are happy as a family unit, it does not actually matter what your address is.  Change it as many times as you need to…it still changes after you get out.

“The Mission:  Most importantly, it’s the close connection that exists between the work I do and the end result.”

As far as “the new mission”, I have now started my fourth job since leaving Active Duty.  I had heard in the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) class that on average someone leaving the military goes through three jobs before they land the new career they stay with.  At the time, I completely chaffed off the statement.  I was going to the airlines, and they were going to call that night!

Going through a job search and interview process is extremely stressful when you have not done so for over two decades.  I ended up getting well past the start of my terminal leave before my first interview happened.  And that was almost six months after I had submitted my first applications, and they would not start me in class for at least four months after that!  I ended up working for three different airlines before I landed at a full-time airline pilot position that stuck.  Until COVID struck, and then I found myself in the job interview process again.

I now am working at my fourth company – an engineering firm.  I had to leave behind the entire premise of what I thought I would be doing and move to an entirely different world.  Fortunately, I had the education and expertise to be able to do so.  Never shut a door or opportunity for free education – you never know when you might have to dive right through it again.

Just know that when you leave the military, the first, second, and likely third job opportunity that you have might not be the one you will stick with.  You must remain extremely flexible with multiple options for where you might end up.  Preparing for interviews can easily take a full year, so if you are not ready, do not pull the ejection handle yet.  Odds are the end-state will be nothing like you expected.

“From a purely financial standpoint it makes sense for us to stay in the Army. The financial security and freedom that retirement provides is alluring.”

After passing 20 years in the military you start realizing that each day you are working for less and less of your pay.  This will even be more prevalent earlier as the new 12th year retirement phased plan has been in effect long enough to meet current day separation/retirement decisions.  At some point, you start calculating what your pay could be if you were to “double dip” and get that second paycheck in addition to a retirement check.  But no matter what you do, you need to massively prepare financially for the day you retire or separate from the military (or any profession).  As we reached our military sunset, we had dutifully saved almost a half-year’s salary for the transition, and thought we were prepared.

In the case of the airlines, the first year takes you to about two-thirds of your former salary, even with the retirement paycheck.  To make matters worse, due to some poor timing decisions on our part, we were also building a house as we started the transition.  Of course, as most projects go, it went over budget and behind schedule.  About nine months into the retirement, we found ourselves with our planned savings wiped out and over $40,000 in credit card debt and growing.

When you find yourself facing such a scenario after decades of a steady income, it is a scary position indeed.  We had to make an exceedingly difficult decision to sell the “forever house” and downsize…back to living well within our new means.  The disappearance of the financial security and freedom of a guaranteed paycheck while in the military or government service is a HUGE point that you must plan for well in advance.  Money does not solve everything, but not having it turns inconveniences into major problems.  Do you have six months of salary readily accessible?  Do you have a large emergency fund for when those inevitable home or car repairs hit you in your first month of terminal leave?  If not, do not step away from that nice paycheck comfort blanket quite yet.

Struggles in Retirement

The third header article is about a firefighter’s struggles after retirement.  I think the struggles are very similar for any professional leaving a career.  To supplement Joe Hogan’s article, I present four areas that I find have been the toughest for me to deal with since retiring from the Air Force for you to consider before you make such a decision.

You are not (as) important anymore. 

Once you are done leading, as you start your new job, you are most likely going backwards in stature.  Perhaps you are no longer leading people, or you are not in charge of projects anymore, or you are now junior to people way younger than you.  At TAP they suggest you might be backing up about the equivalent of 12 years compared to your similarly aged co-workers as you leap into a new career.  In the airlines, for example, you find yourself as a First Officer flying for a Captain that might be a decade younger than you.  I have recently found myself transitioned from being a Wing Commander in charge of 4,500 military professionals to overseeing nothing but paperwork as an entry-level engineer.  I am working for some really smart people indeed, but they are about ten years younger than me.  This can be a very mentally tough situation to be in if you are not prepared.

I definitely find in military retirement and starting a second career that I must remind myself the activities I now enjoy (and not my work status) is what leads to the happy life.  As much as you think you might have it wired before you leave the military (or any profession), I guarantee you will find days, times, or events where you make difficult mental comparisons to your previous life.

Work/Life Balance

When you first depart, giving up that military cell phone that rings at two in the morning with only bad news is a beautiful moment!   Your email traffic fades from 200 a day to maybe 20 on a good day.  Your interactions with hundreds of people dwindles down to about 5-10 at a new job.  And your workdays go from 12-14 hours a day and some significant investments on Saturdays and Sundays to watching that clock each day, waiting for the 8^th hour to arrive.  At first, having more time serves as a welcome break, but after a while, you start looking for things to do, and you get…bored.  This is extremely hard for high work-performing individuals to deal with, and if you are not mentally prepared with a plan of action, it can catch you by surprise.

Fortunately for me, two things have really helped me move forward during this phase.  When I once mused “what the heck am I going to do with all this time?”  My wife (#1) smartly responded “duh, do another Ironman.”  Fitness (#2) is always a good time filler!  And signing up for the biggest thing out there is a great way of filling the work/life balance void.  Make certain you have a plan to fill your time before you decide to get out.

You are not “Serving” anymore

Enduring all the pain of deployments, long workdays and “mandatory training” is just part of the job when you are serving a higher purpose.  Protecting freedom is no doubt one of the highest service callings that exists.  But when you leave the military and “the serving” stops, feelings of depression and self-doubt are found around every corner.  For example, if you happen to drive onto a military base, or see a posting by a friend that is still serving on Facebook, it can almost overwhelm you with emotion.  For me, some of the hardest days were Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day.  Coming to grips that you are not “serving” any more can be exceedingly difficult for even the toughest of individuals out there.

I quickly found I needed some way of filling that service void.  I have taken on working as a volunteer Scoutmaster in the Boy Scouts, which takes quite a bit of time, and helping 50 youth learn about life skills and leadership is extremely rewarding.  I would highly encourage you to not leave the service until you have a plan for what you’re going to do with your extra time, and how you will serve as a volunteer somewhere.  Without this in place, you will find a void that can become dangerous if not addressed.

Fatherhood Difficulties

Fatherhood in the military is difficult and motherhood is even more difficult in many ways that the second article points out.  Dealing with normal family issues is greatly magnified when you must pick up and move to a foreign country.  Add deployments, of course, and you now have a complexity that exacerbates any family issues.  There are lots of resources while in the military to cope with these issues – the Airman and Family Readiness Center, for example, puts together great programs to help Air Force families.  We used many of their programs to help our family become stronger, but they are not as readily available once you leave the gate for the last time.

To complicate matters, fatherhood does not come with a checklist, and it most certainly does not come with an emergency procedures checklist.  You can try to learn by experience, but then the darn kiddos change and grow up.  As babies, it is frankly simple (though it did not seem so at the time!)  The checklist to solve issues includes food, water, change diaper, change scenery, get over the fact they cry…or join them.  As a newborn parent, you just do not sleep, run through the checklist, and lather, rinse, repeat.  Then they get to be 6-12 years old, and these are the best years…you are a demi-god and virtually cannot go wrong as a dad.

But when your children become teenagers, the world suddenly goes inverted.  You try to teach them about all the dangers out there and the great things they can accomplish, but they suddenly get things called attitudes.  And then hormones kick in and they try to become the alpha, testing the envelope to see where they can push their limits.  Now imagine adding to this situation the chaos of separating from the military and a national pandemic, and the pressure cooker starts to boil over.

Unfortunately, my own personal response to people pushing against me, due to years of military training, is to discipline or in extreme cases, put people that disobey me into jail.  But that obviously does not work with your kids.  So, I fall back to my senior cadet days where you influenced the junior cadets by yelling.  When I say yell, I mean a full-on tirade.  And I acknowledge that is a horrible thing for a father to do.

My kids are awesome, and, of course, as any teenager, they respond with full on sarcasm, and quip “Dad is being ‘kind and benevolent’ again.”  And I resolve to never yell again…until I do.  Inevitably, they test the envelope when I am tired, or sore from a workout, or late with a deadline from work, or under financial pressure or…the list goes on.

When you sit back and reflect on a situation that you know is bad, acknowledging where you are messing up is the first step.  And ultimately, as I reflect, I have developed two main reasons why I often jump to yelling.

First, I think I am taking out some of the stresses and angst of leaving the service out on some of the smallest provocations from my children.  When you are already stressed, your reactions are not calm and measured…you go over the right edge of the stress curve, and you can fly off the handle when you otherwise might not.

Second, I made the decision to get out of the Air Force because of my kids.  I did not get out because of me, my abilities to deal with the increasing task loads, or the pressures involved.  I got out because my kids were having difficulties moving.

While this might sound admirable, in many ways, I regret that decision.

I miss the people.  I miss the mission.  I miss the adrenaline.  I miss the thrill of leadership.  I miss being able to help people and serve.  I miss making decisions and having them stick.

Upon deep reflection, I believe subconsciously I am reflecting these feelings of regret and longing upon my children as “the source” of me getting out.  I miss the military and deep down, I unfairly blame my kids. As selfish and wrong as this is, admitting this feeling makes it easier for me to work towards a solution.

In retrospect, I realize that your family is always happier if you are happy…make the decisions that support both.

So, my hindsight advice is do not leave the military because you are not living in your “forever house.”  Do not leave because you think you can make some better financial gains because this still may not lead to “the happy life.”  Do not leave because you are working too hard and are tired, take some vacation instead!

Leave the military because you personally do not feel the desire to serve anymore and have already found a new way to serve.  Leave because you have a plan (with backup options) in place to get to a better, more rewarding profession that you personally will enjoy more.

And most importantly, only leave the military because you are doing it for you, first and foremost, because that is what will provide a long-lasting source of happiness that lets you cope with everything else.

By Anonymous

Man has been killing man since the earliest records of human history. Combat, it seems, is an inevitable ingredient to humankind as we know it. The effect that combat and killing have on a combatant is a topic that humans have only recently had the luxury of considering and studying. It is through such studies that the sinister realities of combat-related PTSD have become prevalent subjects of study, academic conversation and even policy at national- and international levels. LTC (retired) Dave Grossman’s book On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society is widely recognized as one of the best resources for understanding the effects that killing in combat (or elsewhere) has on a person and how that effect has changed over the course of millennia.

Included in his work, Grossman talks specifically about the phenomenon of the sniper’s ability to more willingly kill than an infantryman in close-combat. He mentions three specific factors that contribute to this: “(1) the physical distance at which they fire, (2) the mechanical distance created by viewing the enemy through a scope, and (3) a temperament predisposed to the job, due to their careful selection by command and self-selection through their willingness to volunteer for the job.” Donald L. Miller’s brilliant work Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany delves more specifically into combat killing as related to both pilots and aircrews, noting that a majority of the killing done in the war was carried out by these relatively few. This was due not only to the use of mass-casualty weapons (the millions of tons of bombs dropped by bomber crews), but equally to the willingness of those crews to deploy those weapons, given those same aforementioned factors.

But these factors that make a combatant more willing to kill are not being proven to make the act of killing another human being any easier, or rather, any less against natural moral-inclinations, on the one pulling the trigger. In fact, as Grossman notes, developments in modern society have made the act of killing anything, including the food for one’s table, almost taboo for the majority of people. This is in radical contrast to the almost unending proliferation (and subsequent consumption) of violence portrayed in film, television and video games, a juxtaposition that only further muddies the water in the societal impact on the development of an individual’s moral compass. These two utterly opposite societal inputs create a natural conflict in a person as to whether the act of killing is, in fact, a glorious event as portrayed in media, or an abhorrent and incredibly uncomfortable task carried out only by psychopaths or those who literally have no other option.

On top of all of this, we are living in an age where, for the first time in history, someone can be an active combatant in a war zone from the comfort of an air-conditioned trailer literally half a world away. When drone warfare was first being introduced to the battlefield there was genuine concern amongst military leaders that those carrying it out would not take combat, and their participation therein, seriously. Their physical separation and the fact that they were utterly impervious to the enemy were viewed as factors that would potentially turn the entire affair into nothing more than a video game for the operators themselves. In fact, quite the opposite has proven to be the case.

Because of the relative novelty of drone use in combat, and the endless debates of the morality of the same, one can find several studies, articles and even books about drone warfare. Though many of them focus on the morality of the subject and not the effects on the drone operators themselves, there are a small number of resources regarding the effect that killing has on a drone operator. However, the same cannot be said for those flying into combat in fixed- or rotary-wing platforms. This is precisely because these individuals are still, theoretically, participating in a manner that calls their own safety into question. They are in the space between the infantryman and the drone operator. Logically, this should relieve these individuals of the moral burden of killing while not being in danger of being killed. And the fact that there are much fewer cases of combat-related burnout among combat pilots than drone operators would seem to indicate that there is, in fact, no need for such studies to be carried out.

This is interesting, given that the current wars are quickly rolling towards the dawn of their third decades of existence. Meaning a lot of combat pilots have spent a lot of time flying, shooting, being shot at, killing and then dealing with the subsequent emotions and psychological effects of those actions. With the amount of studies that have been done on all manner of topics related to warfare in the past 20 years and, even more specifically, to the effects that killing and combat have on a person, it’s surprising that I cannot find anything specifically related to those effects in combat pilots. So I can only relate the effects that killing has on combat pilots from personal experience and that of pilots with whom I’ve spoken. I’ll use Grossman’s three factors listed above as talking points.

‘PREDISPOSITION FOR THE JOB’

From both personal experience and those of many individuals with whom I’ve spoken, I can state unequivocally that these pilots are every bit as vulnerable to the ‘moral injury’ of their profession as the person sitting in Nevada while simultaneously flying in Syria. I would certainly agree with Grossman’s assertion that certain characteristics of a given individual will make them either more prone to, or more psychologically defended from, such injury. But the demands, restrictions and requirements of modern combat will inevitably lead to every attack pilot having to confront the conundrum of killing in conditions that do, or do not, favor their moral concept of war.

A particular instance relating to this is that of being sent on a kinetic strike where no friendly ground forces will be involved. In a near-peer conflict, such would be a dream come true for many Apache pilots. Missions like the one that began Desert Storm (and ushered in the era of the Apache) are a perfect example of this: These pilots flew low and fast behind enemy lines to an Iraqi air-defense radar site and effectively blew a hole in the Iraqi airspace to allow coalition aircraft to enter Iraq unimpeded and lay waste to its significant armor columns.

But in Afghanistan over twenty years later, getting sent on a mission where you’re told bad guys are in a building and you just need to go and blow it up is a lot less certain. ‘Who’s saying the bad guys are there? Are there other people in there who maybe aren’t so bad? It’s cool that the drone-guy somewhere up in the aether has been watching the whole thing and feels confident that that building and its inhabitants need to be gone, but I haven’t been watching and I don’t actually know what or who is in that building.’ Luckily, cases of such missions taking place have been few in Afghanistan and Iraq, but other scenarios containing a few of these ingredients of uncertainty have given more than a few pilots pause. Or forced them to question the morality of their participation.

Furthermore, not every combat pilot necessarily chooses to be a combat pilot. I personally know several Apache pilots who had no desire whatsoever to fly Apaches. However, they’re own underperformance in the rigors of Flight School combined with the Army having a particular demand at the particular time of these individuals’ attendance at flight training led them to being put in the Apache program in order to meet ‘the needs of the Army.’ Between this and the aforementioned contrasting societal inputs, the number of individuals who are potentially ill-equipped for the psychological combat that occurs after the physical combat is alarmingly high.

‘MECHANICAL DISTANCE’

Eric Haney, in his book Inside Delta Force: The Story of America’s Elite Counterterrorist Unit, relates the story of the Munich Olympics Massacre in September of 1972 when the Black September organization abducted and murdered Israeli Olympic athletes. Specifically, he makes mention of the German snipers who watched the abductors from afar in preparation for action against them. Ultimately, when they were called upon to terminate the captors, the snipers hesitated or were utterly incapable of firing. This because, for a period, they had in Haney’s words, “…watched them as they interacted with others, or took a nap, or ate a sandwich…” They had seen, intimately, that their targets were human beings. And self-selection or predisposition for the job be damned, that harsh reality made the act of killing these individuals seem unbearable. The snipers couldn’t do it.

In this regard, combat pilots could be considered fortunate that general fuel and noise restrictions will not often allow for them to sit and get to know a target before ultimately being tasked to terminate that target. For our brethren flying remotely, this has been among the chief factors leading to moral injury. Drone pilots spend literally hours and days watching a target engage with other people, including their families, utterly humanizing that target. And all of this without any direct threat to themselves. I can only imagine how difficult the task of killing that target would actually be given these conditions.

But for the rest of us, our participation in the last two decades has more often been responding in a Quick-Reaction Force (QRF) capacity when troops on the ground are engaged. For Apache pilots, this means ‘get a radio frequency, get a grid location, and pull the guts out of those engines to get overhead and fight off the foe.’ In this regard, most of the attack pilots that I know have been able to work through the morality of killing because they were asked to strike when the iron was still hot. There was nothing resembling a “getting to know you” session with the enemy. Pilots came on station and the bad guy was shooting at the good guys with the intent to kill them. He punched his ticket to the afterlife. Simple as that.

But, unfortunately, even in these cases it’s not ‘as simple as that.’ These circumstances don’t simply make the humanity of the enemy disappear. I know pilots who have been forced to grapple with a target’s humanity because the individual survives the initial engagement enough to attempt to crawl desperately away from their own detached limbs, or to visibly writhe in agony. Nothing could be a more stark reminder of someone’s humanity than such panicked and ultimately fruitless attempts to just stay alive.

As a pilot, you hope that your munitions fly true and dispatch the enemy as quickly as possible. When this happens, processing the fact of life-taking is much quicker because one has to move on immediately to the next task. But sometimes munition effects just aren’t quite that clean. And the terrible theater of the struggle for life is displayed vividly through ultramodern sensors into the cockpit on screens. I’ve seen the combat footage of such engagements and shaken my head wondering how that image must sear itself into the shooter’s brain. Particularly knowing that the pilot will have to then re-watch everything as they review the engagement with a military lawyer to ensure that everything was done properly and in adherence to the laws of armed conflict.

So the “advantage” of mechanical distance, in the age of modern technology, may not be so advantageous after all.

‘PHYSICAL DISTANCE’

This, I feel, is an undeniable advantage that a pilot has over a soldier on the ground. Not because of the reduction in danger. Rotary wing aircraft make attractive targets. They’re big, noisy and generally unapologetic about both characteristics. They loiter intimately closer to combat than their fixed-wing counterparts. And, I’d imagine, the fantastic prospects of being the guy who brought down a helicopter is wildly appealing. All of these factors lead to weapons pointing skyward.

No, the advantage that pilots have in their physical distance is that they DON’T have to see the effects of what dropping a Hellfire Missile down the chimney of a building had inside that building. To be clear, the process leading to the application of munitions is VERY careful and considered. Depending on when one took part in the war, a Santa Claus missile like that could only be applied with the blessing of multiple people ranging from the one pulling the trigger, the pilot in command of the aircraft, the commander of the ground force all the way up to the commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan. So such action is hardly applied willy-nilly. But when it is, the pilots don’t have to then witness in full-living color, scent and touch, the results thereof.

This, I believe, is the biggest reason that occurrences of PTSD are much more prevalent among ground-pounders than among combat pilots. Because when those ground guys are in it, they are undeniably and unavoidably IN it. And we have the advantage of being in it while also physically separated. It is a profound respect for this fact that drives combat pilots when the call comes that troops are in contact. Because we know that they are currently having the worst day of their life in probably every psychological and sensory way.

CONCLUSION

It is for the reasons listed above that, I believe, no studies have been conducted specifically to examine the effects that killing have on combat pilots in these modern conflicts. Their physical distance allows them to avoid witnessing what those on the ground witness but they’re still actively participating in a manner that shouldn’t risk the moral injury from which drone pilots so often suffer. Combat pilots are operating in the ‘in-between.’ This nebulous space where, in the eyes of the people conducting studies on the effects of war and killing, everything is right and okay. But to believe such is actually the case is negligent, and there are absolutely combat pilots who have suffered for that negligence.

There are those pilots, as suggested by Grossman, who are simply equipped psychologically to this work. They talk very matter-of-factly about their engagements as points of instruction, or they talk proudly about them as war stories, or whatever. There are others who are proud of, or at least at peace with, the killing they did because it was in support of those people on the ground, but they don’t talk about it simply because they don’t like to relive it.

But for all of these, there are also pilots who volunteered, self-selected to be combat pilots, for whom the entire thing is too distasteful. Those who leave the Army, or at least aviation, and go on to live and thrive despite dark and difficult memories. And there are those, of course, who are so overcome and haunted by the entire affair that they cease to function or worse.

And in this regard I suppose that, ultimately, the experience of killing has the same effect on combat pilots as it does on anyone else participating in war. It is experienced differently, to be sure, but the moral struggle and psychological wrestling match are still the same. They are still the gatekeepers. And everyone who has participated is able to continue living and thriving only by confronting and overcoming them.

For myself, thankfully, I haven’t done anything that makes me lose sleep at night. But whether on the ground, at sea, in the air, or sitting in that trailer in Nevada, combat and killing are ugly affairs. And I hope that all of those who decide they don’t want anything to do with either will allow themselves to truly consider and appreciate the experiences and sacrifices of those that volunteer to do it for them.

Military / National Security / Foreign Policy

Acting defense secretary assures end of ‘generational’ Mideast wars in announcement of partial drawdown, Defense News
No wheels, no canopy, no problem: A-10 pilot who pulled off daring landing receives Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Force Times
The US Navy is moving to put more ship-killer missiles on submarines, Defense News
H. R. McMaster: U.S. Has ‘Partnered With The Taliban Against The Afghan Government’, Hoover Institution
Special Operations Leader to Report Directly to Acting Defense Secretary, Defense.gov
USAF Plans to Expand Nuclear Bomber Bases, Real Clear Defense
Tyndall Air Force base to receive military’s first robot dogs, War is Boring

Wildland Fire / Law Enforcement

My Lesson Learned: Wash the Truck, Wildland Fire Leadership
Perimeter Solutions introduces a new generation of fire retardant, Wildfire Today
The space–time cube as an approach to quantifying future wildfires in California, International Journal fo Wildland Fire
Why ‘Level A all the way’ isn’t the best way when it comes to PPE, FireRescue1
Your Next Patrol Computer Could be a Phone, POLICE Magazine
Hate Crimes Rose to Highest Level in 12 Years, FBI Says, PoliceMag
Miami Officer Becomes Mentor to Teen Who Assaulted Him During Protest, PoliceMag

Mountain

5 Rules to Keep Us Safe in the (Crowded) Backcountry, POWDER Magazine
The State of Climbing Gyms Nine Months into the Pandemic, Climbing Magazine
Tips to Prepare for Ski Season From Two-Time Olympian Kaylin Richardson, FREESKIER
6 Camping Destinations That Are Better in Winter, Outside Magazine
Video: Stunning 4K Footage of Patagonia’s Cerro Torre, Adventure Journal
Make a Virtual Kilimanjaro Climb to Support Tanzanian Porters, The Adventure Blog
Explore a Frosted World on Roan Mountain, North Carolina, Backpacker

Fitness / Health / Nutrition

What the Pandemic Did to Workouts, WebMD
Seeking the Fastest Shoe in the Post-Vaporfly Era, Outside Magazine
Kidney Toxins Created by Meat Consumption, NutritionFacts.org
Go (over) easy on the eggs: ‘Egg-cess’ consumption linked to diabetes, Science Daily
Vitamin D Deficiency in Athletes, Breaking Muscle
Rethinking the Cross-Training Paradox, Outside Magazine
How Often You Should Do Deadlifts, Men’s Health

Interesting

The Vaccines Will Probably Work. Making Them Fast Will Be the Hard Part. NYT
This Private Ski Area In Colorado Charges $3 Million Per Member. They Just Sold 7 Memberships…, Unofficial Networks
Japanese Town Employs Robot Wolves to Frighten Away Wild Bears, Adventure Journal
6 Eerie (and Irresistible) Ghost Towns to Visit in the US, Osprey Packs
It’s All Home Water: The Crash of Florida’s Tarpon Capitol, The Cleanest Line

11/20/20 …. Sorry – No More Lab Rats Needed for this Study.

By Rob Shaul

MTI is calling for remote lab rats for an upcoming, narrow and focused, 3.5 weeks, 2-day/week Mini-Study testing the effectiveness of sandbag training to increase max effort strength.

This mini-study will begin Monday, November 30, 2020. The deadline to apply is 1700 Mountain Time, Wednesday, November 25, 2020.

Background

In general, the only way to increase max effort, or 1 Repetition Maximum (1RM) Strength is to increase resistance – or the load being lifted.

What this means practically, is that doing more and more push ups will not lead to continued 1RM gains for the bench press, or doing more and more bodyweight squats will not lead to continued 1RM gains fo the front squat.

Depending on the individual athlete and his/her training age and incoming fitness, it is possible for a new, weak athlete to do nothing but push ups and increase his/her bench press 1RM. However, this likely will not work for an experienced, fit athlete, and even for the new/unfit one, eventually bench press 1RM will plateau, even if push up fitness increases.

We’re interested to test the ability of rep-based sandbag training to increase 1RM strength. Sandbags obviously have some mass, so we would expect some improvement, but we’ve never tested to see how much.

With the covid-caused gym closures, as well as limited equipment at austere deployment locations, often sandbags or similar are all that are available for strength training.

We have completed past research along these lines.

In a small, 2017 local lab rat mini-study we compared Leg Blasters to a percentage-based free weight progression to increase front squat 1RM. In that study, surprisingly, we found that leg blasters were as effective as heavy front squat programming to increase 1RM front squat strength. However, the sample size (just 4 athletes) for that study was very small, and therefore, somewhat questionable.

More recently, a remote lab rat mini-study compared the effectiveness of a limited equipment ACFT training plan to a fully equipped ACFT training plan to improve ACFT event scores, including the Trap Bar Deadlift 3RM.

The limited equipment group used sandbags and the sandbag clean exercise to train for the Deadlift.

The fully-equipped group used a trap bar and weight plates.

At the study’s conclusion, the fully-equipped group increased their 3RM Deadlift load by an average of 7.06% vs. the limited equipment group who increased their Deadlift 3RM by an average of 3.99%. These results were as we expected, but the sandbag clean exercise was not mirroring the Trap Bar Deadlift, and this could have skewed the results.

Details

Lab Rats will be broken into 2 groups: Group A, and Group B. Both groups will complete a 1RM Push Press and 1RM Back Squat assessment, then each will complete different programming.

Group A will complete 3.5 weeks of barbell Push Presses and barbell Back Squats using their 1RM assessment results and MTI’s Density Progression Methodology. These athletes will require the following equipment:

• Squat Rack, Barbell and weight plates
• Repeating Countdown Timer

After the initial Push Press and Back Squat 1RM assessment, Group B will complete 3.5 weeks of a sandbag push press and back squat progression. These athletes will need the following equipment:

• Squat Rack, Barbell, and weight plates for the pre and post-cycle 1RM Push Press and Back Squat 1RM Assessments
• Repeating Countdown Timer
• Sandbag (Men will need a 60-pound sandbag, Women will need a 40-pound sandbag)

Each group will perform its individual progression for 3 weeks, then on the Monday of week 4, each will re-test the Push Press and Back Squat 1RMs. After a rest on Tuesday, Group B will re-assess a sandbag assessment.   Overall, this mini-study will last 3.5 weeks.

Cycle Duration and Schedule:

This MTI Mini-Study will take 3.5 weeks. It will begin Monday, November 30, 2020 with the Push Press and Back Squat 1RM assessments.  On the Monday of Week 4, December 21, 2020, lab rats in both groups will re-test their Push Press and Back Squat 1RMs. Then on Wednesday, December 23, Group B will re-assess the sandbag Push Press and Back Squat rep assessment..

What We Hope To Learn

(1) The effectiveness of rep-based sandbag training to increase max effort strength.

(2) A direct comparison of barbell strength training to sandbag rep training to increase max effort strength.

To Participate

• You’ll need to commit to training 2 days/week, and follow the program as prescribed.
• You’ll need to commit to only do this training for lower and upper body push strength training for the study period. You may train cardio, work capacity, core, endurance, etc. on your own, but no additional lower body and upper body push strength training.
• You’ll need the required equipment (see above)
• You’ll need to be an experienced, fit athlete.

The cycle will begin Monday, November 30, 2020 and end, December 23, 2020.

We aim to limit the total number of Lab Rats 16-20 athletes.

Want to be an MTI Lab Rat?

Please email rob@mtntactical.com, and put “Sandbag Strength Lab Rat” in the subject line by 1700 mountain time, November 25, 2020.

Please include:

• Your age, height, and weight
• Training experience
• Verify you have access to the required equipment, including a sandbag (60# men, 40# women)
• Finally, please verify you can commit to the 3.5 week, 2 day/week training cycle.

You’ll be assigned to a Group, and provided with further instructions. Training will start on Monday, November 30, 2020.

APPLY NOW

Military / National Security / Foreign Policy

SOUTHCOM task force saves lives in Panama, Honduras after Hurricane Eta, Air Force Times
In unusual move, US spy agencies say they won’t share intelligence with Biden for now, intelNews.org
Army Wants Smaller Brigades, Stronger Divisions & Lots of Robots, RealClearDefense
A New Bill Could Provide Better Outdoor Recreation Programs for Veterans, REI Co-op Journal
Study of Marine recruits finds fever, symptom screening misses many coronavirus cases, Marine Corps
An Effective Strategy for Countering Small Drones? RealClearDefense
Lessons from the Roosevelt: A Call for Improving the U. S. Navy’s Preparedness for Biological Threats, War on the Rocks

Wildland Fire / Law Enforcement

Small fires, frequent clouds, rugged terrain and no training data: a methodology to reconstruct fire history in complex landscapes, International Journal of Wildland Fire
John Cena to donate $500K to California fires first responders, FireFightingNews
NFPA receives grant to transform wildfire risk reduction training to a digital experience, Wildfire Today
Think Strategic Deployment During Fire Attack, FireRescue Magazine
LAPD to Downsize Special Units, Focus on Patrol, Officer.com
All of those “crusty old cops” that are still out there? They might be just what America needs right now. Law Enforcement Today
Minnesota’s New Police K-9 Can Help Sniff Out Electronic Evidence in Sexual Predator Cases, Officer.com

Mountain

Emily Harrington becomes first woman to send El Capitan’s Golden Gate in a day, Alpinist Newswire
Why Backcountry Safety Gear Goes Far Beyond Beacon, Shovel, and Probe, POWDER Magazine
Google Earth ‘Found’ the World’s Best Wave—But Geology May Soon Destroy It, Adventure Journal
Video: The Business of Ski Resorts, Americal Alpine Institute
Worried About Climate Change? For These Guides, It’s a Numbers Game, Backcountry Magazine
What Backpacking Lost in the California Fires, Backpacker
K6 Central first ascent in Pakistan by Priti and Jeff Wright, Planetmountain

Fitness / Health / Nutrition

Pfizer’s Early Data Shows Coronavirus Vaccine Is More Than 90% Effective, NYT
Why Running Outside in the Winter Is So Good for You, Outside Magazine
Can Soy Prevent and Treat Prostate Cancer? NutritionFacts
Face masks don’t hinder breathing during exercise, study finds, Science Daily
The Best (and Worst) U.S. Cities for Healthy Lungs, Men’s Health
2020’s Most Overweight and Obese States in America, Breaking Muscle
Why This Olympian Is Healthier Now He’s Retired, Men’s Health

Interesting

The Children Never Had the Coronavirus. So Why Did They Have Antibodies? NYT
The Votes Are In: Wolves Are Coming Back to Colorado, Backpacker
Taiga Terra – The First Premium Cooler Made From Hemp, Gear Institute
This Vermont shop just became the first specialty retailer to hire a full-time diversity manager, SNEWS
Cloth face masks that can be disinfected by the sun, Science Daily

By Anonymous

If I were to measure myself against MTI’s Happiness Equation, I would score a zero out of 3. Maybe on a good day at work a 1 out of 3 at best.

I am not doing work that I love. I am generally not around people that I love, and the Army does not allow me to live long term in a place that I love. If I do not want to be miserable for the rest of my career, I need to change my path.

If you’re reading this expecting to hear about a traumatic experience, toxic leadership, or a litany of negative thoughts then this article may bore you. Of course, I have my issues with the Army and it’s endless bureaucracy, but I’m not leaving on a sour note. I’m also not writing this essay to complain about things I can’t change.

I’m writing it because I’m ready for something new and different. Sometimes you hit that rut in a career, and I know that staying in this rut isn’t the right answer.

After 11 years of active duty service, my husband and I made the decision to both leave the Army. While it’s an exciting prospect to be starting new careers, it’s stressful. Adding in a global pandemic with an unpredictable economy doesn’t help.

Financial Considerations

From a purely financial standpoint it makes sense for us to stay in the Army. We are both Majors with over 11 years of service; only 9 more to go until full retirement and insurance for a lifetime. The financial security and freedom that retirement provides is alluring, but I can’t and won’t put a price tag on my mental happiness. Waking up and going to a job that I know is no longer right for me is a prospect I am simply not willing to endure. I see my officer peers silently suffering in jobs that make them miserable – living Thoreau’s “life of quiet desperation.”

What’s more terrifying- living a life of quiet desperation or putting yourself out there, taking a risk, and seeing how it turns out? The answer is clear – I’m going to take the risk.   

A decrease in pay is almost inevitable for us. DINK life (Dual income- no kids) has treated us well. We’ve been good with saving and investing, but we’ve also never had to consider the money factor in the vast majority of day to day decisions. That’s about to change- and change drastically depending on our future employment. We are both mentally prepared for the financial hit but thinking about it and living it are two different things. It’s going to require strong self-discipline for both us to reign in our spending. In preparation for our departure from the Army, my husband I read a book called “The Psychology of Money” by Morgan Housel (highly recommend). In the book he states “Past a certain level of income, what you need is just what sits below your ego. One of the most powerful ways to increase your savings isn’t to raise your income, it’s to raise your humility.” While it would be foolish not to consider the money factor in future careers, I don’t believe it should be main deciding factor in what careers we pursue.

Work/Life Balance

I’ve never seen a happy field grade officer in the Army. Maybe they do exist, but I’ve never seen one on a Brigade Combat Team.  They all look overworked, stressed, and generally unhappy with their lives. Even with the draw down of deployments, many still spend countless hours tied to their desks in windowless offices, filing out spreadsheets, updating PowerPoint slides, and dealing with a new crisis every 5 minutes. From my perspective, this is unacceptable for me and the way I want to live my life. I can say without a doubt in my mind that I do not want that job.

My husband and I delayed starting a family. It was never the “right time” as we’ve always viewed that our primary mission was to the put the needs of the unit before our own wants. We set high professional standards for ourselves and we didn’t’ want anything to take away from our careers. Now that I’m in my mid-thirties I’m feeling my biological clock ticking and my priorities have shifted to starting a family.

And frankly, I’m not willing to deal with the drama and negative stigma associated with being pregnant and in the Army. Being pregnant in a BCT is viewed as burden to the unit and detractor from combat readiness, no matter how great you are at your job. I’m also not willing to try and find a work/life balance while being a mom and field grade officer as I don’t think it can truly exist. I have very few female mentors and the ones I do have share the constant struggle and pressure they are under both at work and at home. It looks exhausting. Being pregnant and becoming a mom is supposed to be exciting and joyful, instead the Army makes you feel inadequate and useless. Add in the constant pressure to keep up with male peers who don’t have to face these same obstacles and it’s demoralizing.

I’m also not naive enough to think that this work/life balance magically exists in the civilian world. Professional working moms face many of the same issues and right now they are probably exacerbated with COVID and kids not being in school. However, the Army does present some distinctly unique challenges to working moms that include 9-12 month deployments, weeks away in the field, or 12+ hour days as the norm and in some units that’s the expectation.

To highlight this point, I want to share an observation I had as a young platoon leader that really opened my eyes to the difficulty of being an active duty mom. It was a 2-week field problem and I observed a female captain who had returned from maternity leave a month earlier. She was working 18 hour days and in between briefings, she would sneak away from the TOC to find HMMVW where she could have some privacy and pump. She then had to find a way to keep the supply cold, and have it transported back to the battalion staff duty desk, where her family (who she had to ask to fly down to watch the kid) could come and pick it up.

That Captain had my utmost respect, but at the same time my heart hurt for her. She looked miserable and I felt the immense pressure she was under to perform well at her job, while at same time providing for her young baby. It didn’t help the situation that other male officers on staff would make disparaging and rude comments about her well within ear shot. Instead of uplifting and supporter her, they hung her out to dry. That whole situation honestly scarred me, and I never want to be in that position. Maybe it’s cowardly or taking the easier road, but I’m not willing to put up with bull**** like that.  Another reason why I believe pursuing a civilian career is best decision for me and for my future family.

Outside Pressure

Family- No one in my family ever made the military their primary career. I come from a family of schoolteachers, who for the most part, have lived in the same part of the country for their entire lives. When I joined the Army they were super proud, but also sad to see me go, knowing that I would probably never live close to home and that yearlong deployments were an inevitable part of Army life at that time. When I expressed to them my desire to leave the service, they were incredibly supportive, and offered to help anyway they could. They openly express how much they want my husband and I to live closer to home and be a steadier physical presence in their lives, which is something we have not be able to do since we were 18. It’s an exciting thought to be able to be home for all the holidays and it honestly helps makes the decision to leave the Army easier. Of course, they share our same concerns about financial well-being and overall happiness but having us live closer and plant some roots outweighs many of the worries. Having the support of our families has been invaluable in this decision-making process. Both my husband and I realize how fortunate we are to have their encouragement.

Professionals – Seeking advice from senior officers for me is difficult. I can’t really relate to them and they can’t relate to me. I would never define myself as “true believer” in the Army culture.  For starters, the vast majority of senior officers are male, and many are married with stay at home spouses. Our life circumstances are very different and while I appreciate their interest and advice, it’s just not applicable to my situation. In the rare instance where I see a dual military high-ranking couple, one of them has often had to take “step back” from being on fast track career path and more often than not, it’s the wife. It’s very un-inspiring.

From my experience two things generally happen when you tell your boss that you’re getting out of the Army. I’ve seen it happen to my peers countless times.

The first is that seniors will try and convince you to stay. Making the Army a career is what they did, so, many have a hard time understanding why you wouldn’t want to follow the same path. The second thing that happens once they realize that you won’t be convinced to stay and that your decision is final, is that they start to write you off. Sometimes you’ll be moved to a higher headquarters staff position to ride out your time; feeling ostracized and no longer part of the team.

This was all racing through my mind as I walked into my boss’s office to tell him that my husband and I are getting out of the Army; expecting the worst the case scenario. I didn’t want him to think I was a shitbag, but that’s how I felt the whole week leading up to the meeting.

To my surprise, the conversation went really well, and he fully supported my decision. Of course he was disappointed, but he had my back and understood my reasons for leaving. My boss is a progressive thinker. He has a daughter in the service as well which I think helps him empathetic to the challenges females deal with on a daily basis. His open-mindedness was refreshing, and I truly hope that more senior leaders take this approach with subordinates. I walked out of the meeting feeling like someone finally picked the barbell up off my back. My mind was free; nothing left to hide. My decision was out in the open. One more step toward making the change and tipping the happiness equation in my favor.

The Future

I don’t have all the answers, I probably never will, but I’m optimistic for my future. I’m excited for a new chapter with my husband; one that gives us more control and choice of what we do, where we live, and who we are surrounded by. I know that we probably won’t be getting a 3 for 3 in the happiness equation off the bat, but I trust in our ability as a team to pursue a life we want, where we want, and with careers where we can find personal and professional fulfillment.

By Rob Shaul, Founder

In August 2020, five MARSOC Marines stationed in North Carolina completed the MTI Military Athlete 3/3/3 Endurance Assessment. Two of the athletes scored “Poor” on the assessment, two scored “Good,” and one scored “Excellent.” One mitigating factor was the weather at the time … 78 degrees and 94% humidity.

Background

MTI developed the MTI Military Athlete Endurance Assessment in 2017 as an answer to test the mission-direct endurance fitness demands for soldiers and Marines. All current official military fitness assessments have an endurance component – an unloaded 1.5 to 3 mile unloaded run for time. In our opinion, these short-distance unloaded runs duration not accurately reflect the duration, distance, and loading of the “real thing” endurance fitness demands for military athletes deployed to combat zones or attending special military schools or selections.

In developing the MTI 3/3/3 Military Endurance Assessment, here were our thoughts going in:

• Mission-Direct: The assessment should assess mission-direct endurance demands, which for military athletes means loaded movement.
• The assessment must be easy to complete and easy to score. The assessment should be able to be completed as a unit with minimal requirements for scoring and tracking. It should also be able to be completed in the amount of time afforded to units for PT… so at absolute maximum, four hours. No superficial training gear or instruction. KISS principle applies.
• Training area should be simple. a 1.5 mile flat loop or 1.5 mile down/back flat course on road, plus a stop watch, is all units/athletes will need for this assessment.
• The type of equipment and weight carried should be the same, or closely simulated, to the requirements of the job. We utilized a study by the US Army Army Center for Lessons Learned, titled “The Modern Warriors Combat Load” to determine realistic weight for mission realities.
• Each event should be individually scored, then tallied for an overall assessment score. Similar to the relative strength assessment, individual event scoring allows us more data on fitness deficiencies.

The MTI Military Athlete Endurance Assessment deploys three individual 3-mile legs, for a total distance of 9 miles. Each leg has different loading, and there is a 6-minute rest between legs to rest/prepare for the next effort. Uniform for the event is t-shirt, cammie bottoms and boots.

• Leg 1 is run unloaded, carrying a 10-pound weight or dummy rifle.
• Leg 2 is loaded at 45 pounds, and carrying a 10-pound weight or dummy rifle.
• Leg 3 is loaded at 75-pounds, and carrying a 10-pound weight or dummy rifle.

As well, each leg has its own scoring based on finished time, and the individual leg scores are added up for an overall score. See below for the assessment protocol and scoring:

MTI 3/3/3 Military Endurance Assessment Protocol

Uniform:

• • Military – boots and cammies

Warm Up:

2 Rounds

• • 100m Run
  • Instep/Hip Flex/Pigeon Stretch

Training

(1) 3 Mile Run – Unloaded

In boots and cammie bottoms, t-shirt top, while carrying a rifle or similarly weighted object, the athlete will run three miles at maximum effort.

** 6 Minutes to recover/prepare for the next event. Be strict – no more or less than 6 minutes.

(2) 3 Mile Ruck Run at Fighting Load – 45 Pounds

In boots and cammie bottoms, t-shirt top, while carrying a rifle or similarly weighted object, the athlete will ruck run three miles at maximum effort wearing a 45# ruck.

** 6 Minutes to recover/prepare for the next event. Be strict – no more or less than 6 minutes.

(3) 3 Mile Ruck Run  in Approach March Load – 75 Pounds

In boots and cammie bottoms, t-shirt top, while carrying a rifle or similarly weighted object, the athlete will ruck run three miles at maximum effort wearing a 75# ruck.

Scoring

The standards for each event serve as the baseline for scoring. Each event has an individual interval, which will equal one point (see table below).

Find the sum of the three events for your overall score. For example…

• • 3 Mile Unloaded Run Time: 23:30 = 7 pts
  • 3 Mile Ruck Run @ 45# Time: 34:22 = 5 pts
  • 3 Mile Ruck Run @ 75# Time: 43:16 = 6 pts
  • Total Score = 18 points

MARSOC Marine Snapshot Scores & Discussion

In August 2020, five MARSOC Marines completed MTI Military Athlete 3/3/3 Endurance Assessment. None of the Marines who took the assessment had trained specifically for it previously. All were volunteers. Scores and assessment notes below:

Assessment Notes:

• Course: 1.5 mile out & back w/ 2x small hills and a shallow climb to the finish. Course is as flat as terrain gets on the compound.
• Overall assessment: the weather conditions (temperature: 78 degrees; Humidity: 94%) had a significant impact on every athletes’ perceived level of exertion, and the resulting times. We started at 6 AM; doesn’t get much cooler than this in August in NC.
• The rest time between each effort was just enough to change ruck loads, refill water, and head back to the start point.
• Ruck loads were verified on scale before each effort. NOTE: ruck weights listed are dry weight. Each athlete carried an additional 5 lbs (average) of water.
• We used 8# rubber training rifles. Some athletes hand-carried them, others cross-body slung them. Those who hand-carried them noted a more significant impact to their running (especially during slick run) than those who slung them.

Overall, we feel these scores help further validate our assessment, and it’s scoring system. If all the athletes who completed the assessment had scored “excellent” we would have known the scoring system was too easy. Likewise, if they had all scored “poor” – we would have known the scoring system was too hard.

As is, the athlete’s scores were spread out over a relative “curve” – which is what we’d hope for.

Two of the athletes did score “poor” which was a surprise at given their Special Forces status, but there are mitigating factors. First – the course wasn’t totally flat. Second, the hot weather and humidity were brutal. Third – each added to their load with an extra 5 pounds of water.

We believe if the same athletes would have taken the assessment on a flat course, in cool, dry weather, all would have scored “Good” or better – reflecting what we’ve seen for fitness at Special Forces units.

This assessment is no joke … – 9 miles total, in cammies and boots, all of it carrying a dummy rifle or a similar item. Of the 9 miles, 6 miles are loaded, including a crushing, final 3 miles loaded at a heavy 75 pounds.

Questions, Comments, Feedback? Email rob@mtntactical.com

You Might Also Like The SAFT (Soldier-Athlete Fitness Test) – MTI’s Replacement for the APFT and the USMC PFT

Military / National Security / Foreign Policy

Tens of Thousands of Military Absentee Ballots Yet to Be Counted, Real Clear Defense
Conceptualizing the Future of US Special Operations, Small Wars Journal
US Army’s tactical network modernization team requests industry pitches for future capabilities, Defense News
Here’s how the Pentagon will test industry’s counter-drone tech for an enduring capability, Defense News
5G Experiments in U.S. Pave Way to Battlefields Abroad, RealClearDefense
Pentagon’s Fleet Architecture Mirrors Original Navy and Marine Plan, Real Clear Defense
Moving Beyond Total Force: Building a True Strategic Reserve, War on the Rocks

Wildland Fire / Law Enforcement

Some of Alberta’s largest wildfires from 2019 were extinguished this fall, Wildfire Today
Federal wildland firefighters say they’re burned out after years of low pay, little job stability, NBC News
Smoke cloud from Australia’s wildfires was three times larger than anything previously recorded, Wildfire Today
Quantifying production of hot firebrands using a fire-resistant fabric, International Journal of Wildland Fire
Feds Dismantled the Dark-Web Drug Trade—but It’s Already Rebuilding, Wired
Portland voters approve creating new civilian oversight board for police, Police 1 Daily News
How to evaluate the flying skills of police drone pilots, Police 1 Daily News

Mountain

Scientists Weigh in on the Great Trekking Pole Debate, Outside Magazin
Grip it and Rip it With Straight Skis | Return of the Turn, Unofficial Networks
Climber Sues Guide Over Failed Everest Expedition, The Adventure Blog
Why This World-Class Skier Left The Mecca of Powder, POWDER Magazine
The Best Day Hikes on the Pacific Crest Trail, Outside Magazine
Skis Made From Algae? Yep, Skis Made From Algae, Adventure Journal
Heated seats to become a hot commodity at ski areas this season, FREESKIER

Fitness / Health / Nutrition

Weight Training May Help Ease Anxiety, NYT
How To Continue Training When Injured, The Barbell Physio
New Drug Offers Hope Against MS, WebMD Health
The Max Vert Challenge Is the Craziest Virtual Race Yet, Outside Magazine
Compression garments reduce strength loss after training, Science Daily
How exercise stalls cancer growth through the immune system, Science Daily
3 Things People With Asthma Should Know Before They Take Up Running, Men’s Health

Interesting

Who Should Get a Covid-19 Vaccine First? NYT
How to Deal with the Pressure of Never Having Enough Time (and Why It’s Total BS), Mark’s Daily Apple
Mt. Kilimanjaro is at the Epicenter of Climate Change, The Adventure Blog
Coronavirus Study in Germany Offers Hope for Concertgoers, NYT
Video: A Wild Idea | Buffalo, a Boot, and a Family’s Work to Save the Prairie, Patagonia
Pre-Historical Badass? 9,000-Year-Old Female Big-Game Hunter Found in Andes, Adventure Journal
Dogs Can Be Trained to Sniff Out COVID-19, Studies Suggest, Everyday Health